Kite On Kite Violence

by **androka** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:48 am

Just above Brooks Island, trading boards with another kiter when our kites floated next to each other. We are grabbing our boards and kites get a bit too close. I watch my kite bump and as I'm starting to pull it away it PASSES THROUGH OTHER KITE'S POWER LINES. uh, yep that just happened...

So now my kite is flying with all my lines through the top V of my friend's power lines. It slacks and settles just touching the water on one edge, my kite lines are stuck on the ring separator of his power lines. I pull back to see if I can move it, but it is hung up. We are above Brooks Island so we start dragging to it, my kite occasionally powering up and starting to rise while I push out the lines to slack it. I took off my chicken loop and leash so I'm only connected to the kite by holding my chicken loop.

We get to about 20 yards from shore and my kite powers up, this time it won't slack and rips out of my hands. It flies across power zone, the bar shoots through his lines, the kite tumbles on some rocks and ..... flips over and sits down! He drags in, grabs the kite while his is in the air, I swim in and grab it from him. We untangle my lines, relaunch and head out to body drag around for our boards.

Lesson learned, I'll never let my kite near another one. I just used up one of my get out of jail free cards, could have easily turned into a Class A kitemare.

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by **ddubwinokur** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:08 am

Great illustration, BTW.

by **CdoG** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:28 am

happend to me and TJ there last year
TJ was super man and and just dragged to the tangle unhooked passed his bar though and that was it we kited for a wile after that
i wounder if that place is possessed?

by **kief** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:46 am

Guys coulda' just simultaneously power-stoked..and rode out together

Looks like it was just one of those days>

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Rescue underway for base jumper stuck in a tree under the Foresthill Bridge

AUBURN, Calif. September 17, 2012 - A basejumper has been stuck in a tree approximately 100 feet off the ground under the Foresthill Bridge in Auburn since at least 8:50 pm on Monday evening.

Cal Fire, Placer County Fire and State Parks are on scene in Auburn trying to rescue the jumper after his chute got tangled up in a tall pine. .

The emergency service were mobilized after a 911 call. Given the darkness, a helicopter rescue seems unlikely. Firefighters will have to rescue the jumper, who is complaining of several injuries, by other means. His chute apparently deployed properly, but got caught in the branches of one of the very tall trees dotting the canyon walls under the bridge.

Update: Rescue personnel has requested a PG&E boom truck to assist in getting the jumper safely to the ground.

September 18, 2012 at 2:27 AM

Over 15 Cal Fire and Placer County firefighters plus a dozen law enforcement personnel were on scene until 2:05 am when the jumper was finally lowered to the ground in the boom truck's bucket. The jumper was taken to Auburn Faith with minor injuries to his body. No word on the extent of the injuries to his pride or ego.

Placer County Sheriff's deputies will likely be waiting for the yet unnamed "stunt artist" when he will be discharged later today. The bill for the nighttime rescue promises to be a hefty one.

Landing in a tree first, then in jail?

Jumping is illegal and the jumper can likely look forward to at least a misdemeanor violation of State Parks code. Typically, nights with full moon attract jumpers to the 730-foot high bridge.

by **knyfe** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:41 am

back in the glory days of King of the Bay I saw the pros just dragging through each other lines when they got tangled like that. The beach commentator mentioned that this should not be repeated by non-professionals. Here you go, now you are a professional.

G

by **nick_80044** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:02 pm

Great story. All that and no damage to the kite or massive line tangle? Let me know when you're free for a trip to Las Vegas.

by **MehYam** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 3:38 pm

Cool story! I just hope your kiting skills are better than your mspaint skills.

j/k j/k

by **Loscocco** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 5:28 pm

Thats a pretty regular occurance during our course racings starts

by **BayAreaKite** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 6:03 pm

I did that years ago with Chip on the sandbar there. We were on the open bay chop side and we kited close to each other to chat about something, then my kite bumped his and went through his lines. They started to power up so I punched out. Unfortunately he didn't and his kite started to loop and he dug a solid trench through the sand using his body for about 40 feet until his kite crashed in the water on the other side. Who needs a plow, we were ready to plant crops after the furrow he left. Luckily he didn't get abruptly stopped by any solid objects... :character-cookiemonster: